Googlebook Update Frees Up RAM From On-Device AI

Google has started rolling out the November update for Googlebook, and the biggest change is how much memory the platform's on-device AI takes up. On the Acer Googlebook 14, ASUS Googlebook 14, and Lenovo Googlebook 15, Google's release notes say it has improved memory usage for on-device AI to make multitasking more stable on 16 GB devices. Apparently, this comes down to updated memory management in the NPU driver, which reportedly frees up between 3 GB and 6 GB of system RAM and lets the OS claw back memory when Chrome needs more of it. The Help Center notes don't put a number on it, though, and the 3 GB to 6 GB figure comes from Google's announcement on Reddit.

The update, build CL3B.260622.286.R2, carries the November 1 security patch and around 30 fixes in total. Among them are keyboard and trackpad input dropping out on convertibles, black screens with DRM-protected video on external monitors, external USB microphones not working, Zoom crashes with background effects, and bootloops when an update gets interrupted. HP and Dell owners also get a fix for Bluetooth audio lip-sync issues, and the Linux Terminal gets several reliability fixes. All three models getting the memory fix ship with 16 GB of RAM. Freeing up to 6 GB on those machines is a big deal, since that's over a third of the total memory. The update is rolling out gradually, and owners can check for it under Settings > System > Software updates > System update.